Friday, July 20, 2012

The hardest working political activist in Georgia has been all over the news recently with the GA 400 Toll story. True to his nature, here's an update on Governor Deal's statement/promise/pledge on Thursday to push the action date out for another year and a half until he can come up with another excuse. It seems that "I had a flat tire", "The train ran late" and "My dog ate my homework" have already been used.

ATLANTA, GA – Under intense citizen and media pressure, Governor Nathan Deal pledged today for the second time in two years to tear down the GA 400 toll booth that collects the only mandatory road toll in Georgia history. He set a target removal date of December 31st 2013.

Two days earlier, a group of civic leaders representing VoterGa’s Free GA 400 project presented Gov. Deal with 400 petitions requesting that he adhere to the original GA 400 construction agreements between Atlanta and the state. They require that toll revenue only be spent to construct the GA 400 extension inside the perimeter and that the toll be removed now that construction costs are repaid.

VoterGA founder, Garland Favorito, released a statement today on the new pledge: “We are encouraged that Governor Deal has once again pledged to remove the toll so that all Georgia transportation projects are funded in an equal manner for all Georgians. His predecessors took the opposite tack. But we are cautious knowing things can change just like before and the new pledge may not be honored either. Toll removal also requires a vote of the SRTA board which has not yet occurred.”

He continued: “We are disturbed though that the governor has decided to hide behind the phony bond excuse for another year and a half. As we have repeatedly explained, SRTA currently has $68 million which can be used to:

·Pay $22 million for completion of the Buckhead interchange ramps;

·Open a trust, escrow or SRTA account to repay all $34 million bond principal and interest at any time necessary to avoid penalties.

“The governor chose to continue, not suspend, Sonny Perdue’s pet projects that have nothing to do with the GA 400 extension and violate the original agreement with Atlanta. Furthermore, the governor has not yet committed to liquidate the $10 million 17th St. property purchased under Gov. Roy Barnes in 2002 although it had nothing to do with the GA 400 extension. Selling that property could reduce toll collection by 6 months. If the intent is to restore public trust prior to the T-SPLOST vote, I think he needs to be more open and honest about why the state must continue to raid the Fulton County cookie jar for another year and a half.”

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The hard working guys and gals over at the Gary Johnson Grassroots Blog have come up with this nifty graphic based on the polling results from the iSideWith app that's been floating around Facebook for a while. I took it and hit 93% aligned with GJ on the quiz questions.

Imagine the warm fuzzy glow that would sweep the nation if Libertarian Gary Johnson actually won. Then imagine all the messy clean up from the resultant left and right wing statist head explosions. All in all, it would be worth it.

So Georgians, join us Libertarians and make Project 785 a reality. That's 785,000 votes for Gary Johnson in November here in the Peach State. That's 20% of the expected votes votes cast, it's improbable, but it is doable.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Follow-up on June Anti- TIA/TSPLOST Rally

Most of the meeting was a detailed look by Bob Jackson, organizer of TransportationLeadership Coalition (see TrafficTruth.net), at how the T-SPLOST budget seriously overcharges for each project, how the politics of the tax work for the benefit of special interests (politicians, CID's, developers, construction companies, engineers, etc.), but does very little to solve Atlanta's traffic congestion. Norb Leahy, leader of the Dunwoody Tea Party, served as a great foil for Bob, frequently giving us a big picture view, and taking jabs at the bad guys, then it was "back to you, Bob!". Most of us bought a NO T-SPLOST yard sign at the meeting. There are still a few signs left over, so be sure tocome to the next meeting if you want one.

Protest CNN - Give Johnson Equal Time!

Supporters around the country of political candidate diversity in general and of Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson in particular are depending on those of us who live near CNN to help with this effort next Sunday and Monday. We finally have the right choice for President, and CNN doesn't seem to want Americans to know. (Ron Paul fans, does this sound familiar?) Let's change their mind! 3PM JULY 15 (Olympic Park) & 10:15AM JULY 16 @ CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, we will hold a protest to demand Johnson be given fair and EQUAL media air-time. He's polling well and will be on the ballot in all 50 states, BUT he MUST poll higher to be included in the Debates. We are seeking fair media attention to achieve this goal and need people to attend the protest. Several of us are going, but we need everyone who can to help us. Click herefor sign ideas.

July 31 Candidate Meet and Greet

You can help make the July meeting a smashing success! (Tuesday the 17th, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at The Famous Pub). I need everyone to spend a few minutes e-mailing a personal invitation to any of your candidates who have an opponent, to meet you at our next meeting so that you and the other libertarians in your district can get to know them and their stance on issues of special concern to you. Here is a sample e-mailyou can send as-is (after replacing my e-address with theirs), or revise to your liking and send to each one. Even the countywide candidates will be more likely to come if they get lots of e-mails. Let's have fun with this and get to know your enemy! I hear it's good tokeep your friends close, and your enemies closer!

If you are registered to vote, you should have recently received a new voter registration card in the mail that shows all the districts you are in. If you did not receive this card, click here or call (404) 298-4020. You will have a choice between a Rebuplican ballot or a Democratic ballot, plus everyone gets a Non-partisan ballot. Go through the ballots, here, to see the various candidate choices in your districts, and you will also see the TIA (Transportation "Investment" (sic) Act) choice and the opinion questions with which to get familiar.

I also need help collecting everyone's e-addresses. If anyone knows a website where we can get everyone's e-addresses, please send it to me and I'll re-circulate to everyone else. No need to invite our friend Michael Rothenberg, running for Superior Court Judge, as he'll be there anyway. And before you invite his opponent Gail C. Flake, you might want to do an internet search on her and develope your opinion from her reputation. Also no need to invite School District 4 Board of Education Candidate Jim McMahan, as I had his e-address and he has a conflict. I will bring his campaign promises to the meeting. He attended one of our monthly meetings a year or so ago. One of the candidates for District 4 County Commissioner is Steve Bradshaw, whose e-address is bradshawfordekalb@yahoo.com.

Please spend some time in the next couple of days working on this project. I am depending on your participation.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Bingo, no signs of Commissioner Wise over to the 5th District or Commissioner Eaton from District 3. Everybody else will show as well as our very own Libertarian David Staples running in District 5. the guys and gals down at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light will host the shindig and have posted the following press release:

So far, the four challengers in the 2012 race have confirmed their attendance. Participants include Republican Pam Davidson and Libertarian David Staples, who are running against incumbent Republican Commissioner Stan Wise in District 5, and Republican Matthew Reid and Democrat Steve Oppenheimer, who are both challenging incumbent Republican Commissioner Chuck Eaton in District 3.

Southeast Green will moderate a media panel featuring Kristi Swartz from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and others. PSC primary election will be held on July 31, with the general election being held in November.

And this flyer:

It should be a really good shew so mark it on your calendars and then show up!

Monday, July 9, 2012

There's a great comment trail running over at Big Jim Galloway's Political Insider column at the AJC. Since he mentioned Allen Buckley's 2008 US Senate Run off without mentioning Allen Buckley's name, I felt compelled to correct the record.

The readership is encouraged to head over and join the fun!

20% or Bust.

Here's my post:

Greetings All,

In the interest of accuracy, the 2008 US Senate run off was brought to you courtesy of the Georgia Libertarian Party's US Senate Candidate Allen Buckley. The 127,923 votes he garnered in the general election (3.4%) threw the race into a run off and gave democrat Jim Martin another crack at the job. Alas, Saxby did prevail.

Please note that non-primary run offs are rare birds in Georgia due to the fact that our fair states ballot access laws have reliably kept third party candidates from competing since around 1943. This election cycle alone will see about 119 incumbents down at the state house facing no opponents in the general election this fall. Does that sound like a functioning republic where competition breeds excellence?

How can the citizens of Georgia remedy this? Do not look to the legislature to welcome additional applicants for those sweet part time gigs in the State House or State Senate, they are quite content with the current republican and democrat plantations. The public does have a say in the matter and can force the state to open up Georgia's ballot access laws by simply casting a ballot for Libertarian Gary Johnson for President this fall.

One vote for Gary Johnson won't get it done. It will take on the order of 785,000 votes to hit the 20% threshold required by state law to elevate the Georgia Libertarian Party from political body status to full fledged political party with full spectrum ballot access. That's a pile of votes.

Here's the Project 785 proposition. If 350,000 less than gruntled republicans cast their vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson and are joined by 350,000 disaffected democrats and around 100,000 Georgia Libertarians we can bring about fundamental change to Georgia Politics.

No more uncontested races, at least two choices if not three and robust competition for political office as the founders of our republic intended. Live Free, Vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Lee Wrights: The Quiet War On Ballot Access

Not all of America’s wars are clear and visible. For decades establishment politicians have been waging a quiet, secret war most Americans don’t even realize is going on. But this war is just as destructive of our liberty as the war in Afghanistan, the war on drugs, the war on taxpayers and the myriads of other conflicts our government is waging.

This war is stealing one of our most precious birthrights, the right to vote for the representative of our choice. It is the war on ballot access. Unlike other wars, the war on ballot access is waged by a united front of Democrats and Republicans who always willingly and eagerly stand together to restrict and obstruct any contender for political power but themselves. They’ve seized control of a nation and have no intention of ever relinquishing their stranglehold on the reigns of power.

Most Americans are oblivious to the monopoly of power exercised by the Democrats and Republicans because they’ve been conditioned to believe that “America has always had a two- party” system. Even some otherwise honest and intelligent Republicans and Democrats believe this is the way it’s always been, and seem genuinely amazed when they’re told how difficult it is for third-party and independent candidates to get on the ballot in many states.

That’s exactly what the professional political class wants them to believe. The arrogance of the two-party establishment feeds on itself; the longer it maintains and holds sole power, the more convinced it becomes of its rightness. They see nothing wrong in limiting your choices. In their haughty position of self-importance, they piously proclaim that having more than two choices on the ballot would only result in a “cluttered ballot” and “voter confusion.

These claims are merely a cover for their cynical belief that American voters are too uninformed and uneducated — in other words, too stupid — to make decisions from a long list of choices, unlike voters in countries like Iraq. The same politicians who piously demand other nations institute “democracy” have no qualms about blatantly denying to their own people the right to vote for representatives of their choice.

The stark truth is, if you’re not a Republican or a Democrat in the United States of America, you are a slave to a government controlled by a majority that forces it’s will upon you. Restrictive ballot access laws, perpetuated by the two-party duopoly, are the ultimate abuse of power. They’re depressing testimony to the mortification and calcification of the two-party system to the point that it is close to death.

“One of the best-kept secrets in American politics is that the two-party system has long been brain-dead maintained by a life-support system that protects the established parties from rivals,” said Theodore J. Lowi, senior professor of American Institutions at Cornell University. “The two-party system would collapse in an instant if the tubes were pulled and the IVs were cut. And until then, the dominant two parties will not, and cannot, reform a system in which they are the principal beneficiaries.”

In almost every case, state ballot access laws are an impediment to our rights, our freedom and our liberty. They’re designed exclusively to muzzle dissent and limit voter choice in order to secure power for the ruling class. In this election, however, America will have a clear choice and an opportunity to pull the IV tubes on the two-party duopoly.

Libertarian presidential candidate Gov. Gary Johnson may well be on the ballot in all 50 states. But to make that happen, the Libertarian Party needs funds to secure ballot access in 19 more states. You can help that effort here.

Then on Nov. 6, 2012, be Libertarian one time and vote Libertarian to stop the war on ballot access. Help us achieve a historic one million votes for the Libertarian candidate for president. Send a clear message to Democrats and Republicans that it is your choice, your vote, your rights, and you will no longer stand idly by while they take them away from you.

Enough is enough! Make them remember this November! Vote Libertarian!

R. Lee Wrights is a writer and political activist living in Texas. He is currently the Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party national committee. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Contact Lee at rleewrights@gmail.com.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Big news Kids, looks like 119 of our fair duly elected representatives to the august halls of the Georgia State House and Georgia Senate only have to get up and vote for themselves on election day to ensure another turn at the trough. That's a functioning republic in action.

On the State House side there are 66 republicans who have no primary challengers to contend with and 21 democrats basking in a similar glow of non-competition. That's out of a total of 180 seats, so this years a bit more competitive than last cycle but that's related to the redistricting shenanigans, and some of the crew that finally hit the wall and retired. Over on the Senate side, 32 of Georgia's Grandees have no challengers out of 56 seats in the hall.

So right at half of our little slice democracy did not even need to deploy an 'new and improved' campaign to ensure victory. I'm pretty sure they are continuing fund raising, schmoozing with various lobbyists, special interest groups and anybody else with a little pocket cash and a pressing need for the public's money.

That's why voting for Libertarian Gary Johnson is so important in Georgia this year. As long as the current two party system can keep third parties off the ballot, these unchallenged politicians with continue to get a free ride. If Georgians, specifically 785,000 + Georgians opt for liberty and vote for Gary Johnson then the two party system in Georgia becomes a three party system.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Before we all rush to get bent once again for a 'transportation' issue lets remember the Ga 400 debacle. It was sold pretty much along the same lines as the current Tsplost package with a promised expiration date. Never happened and never will as the thirst for cash by government can never be slaked.

Here's a proposal that could reduce traffic in Metro Atlanta by 20%. Enforce the insurance laws already on the books. As an illustration, if you get involved in a traffic stop the first thing you're gonna notice is the officer requesting your drivers licence and insurance info. No insurance? Wave bye-bye to your ride.

In this day and age with the wonders of digital communication, snooper cameras installed on selected GSP patrol cars can read and process thousands of car tags an hour. One of the things they look for is insurance status. What's happening to that data?

Given the hazards of navigating 285 and supporting interstates, I'd love to see 20% fewer cars on the roads because I suspect those individuals operating vehicles without insurance are also inclined to skimp on things like tires and brakes as well. If you really can't afford to operate a car, move to within walking distance of work.

The best part of this approach is it won't take 8 to 18 billion dollars to accomplish and does not require a statewide/regional special election.

Here it is kids, hot off the presses via the miracle of the internets, Dancin' Dave and all!!

Remember that your vote for Gary Johnson here in Georgia could kill two birds with one stone. It would really pump his national vote total and maybe, just maybe, break down the ballot access barrier that keeps Georgia under the thumbs of the two party establishment.

Project 785 needs quite few. 785,000+ to be approximate, 20% +1 of the total cast to be exact. And just any old vote won't do, it has to be a vote for President. That means you have to vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson since the ballot access code is very specific about that. You should go ahead and vote for the two LP candidates for PSC but that won't change the political body status of the Georgia LP, only a vote for Gary Johnson can do that.

Since Project 785 is a cellular organization it does not require any of your money. Don't expect any rallies, don't expect any meetings, don't expect anybody asking for a donation for a yard sign. Ain't gonna happen. If you choose to get involved, inform your compadres of your decision and invite them aboard. Or go totally cellular and keep your intentions to yourself.

If you think that the idea of open ballot access has merit and you operate an old fashioned blog like this or run a Facebook page with occasional political entries, feel free to repost. The very idea of asking republicans or democrats to vote for the Libertarian candidate will spark lengthy comment trails. Just ask Layfayette Underground.

Drop back by as I'll be working this project up to election day. If you want to write about it, just fire up the comments section, please note profanity is discouraged at Bludgeon & Skewer.